In the pharmaceutical industry, various types of fluids are used for the preparation, transfer, and storage of pharmaceutical compositions, including drugs, drug components and intermediates, cleaning solutions, and other process solutions and fluids. These fluids often need to be transferred from a storage container to a pharmaceutical system. A transfer container may be used to transfer these fluids, such as, for example, to transfer a cell growth media from a storage bottle to a bioreactor. However, fluid can be lost during the transfer, for example, if filling or draining is difficult or if the transfer container includes a significant hold-up volume.
Additionally, it is often important to maintain the sterility of these fluids during storage and transfer. Accordingly, the transfer of such a fluid first from the storage container and then to the bioreactor (or other end use application) needs to be conducted in an aseptic manner.
Accordingly, there is a need for a flexible assembly that facilitates aseptic fluid transfer, filling, mixing, and draining of pharmaceutical fluids in a non-controlled environment.